As I was at work today, I got to thinking that I would like to start a blog, or a series as it may come to be. Not only for the satisfaction of getting things out of my head onto here..but to gauge reactions and responses from others as well. So I thought I would start off with one about our past. That's right...High School. And more specifically, what you consider being your fondest memories of those days. I'll start and I hope others will follow.
There is alot I remember from the three years I spent wandering the halls of Granger High. There is also alot I would just as soon forget. I vividly remember the friendships started (some of which have lasted to this day), and the experiences I shared with others. I clearly remember sluffing school with some friends to go to the "beach" out at the Great Salt Lake, only to get cited for not paying the entrance fee to get in. I remember the breakfasts spent at McDonalds and learning how to "pop" a wound up straw. How about the pins that were given out with every paper badge during every school election? Am I the only one who didn't just use those pins to hold my badge on?? I doubt that.
As I sit here so many memories flood back on me. I first learned who Guns N' Roses were during a trip to Bountiful to meet a friends current flame. My love for head banging, loud, gut-wrenching metal still exisists today due to that one encounter with Axl and the boys. I vaguely recall Spanish class and addressing the teacher as "NORM" when he walked through the door. I also remember developing my first school boy crush in that exact class.
Memories...the things you can remember when you let the gates of your sub-conscious mind open and the past to enter. Not all memories are good. I also remember being picked on ( what high school adolescent hasn't been), and I remember having my heart broken for the first time during my Junior year.
As this is my first blog, I ask that you bear with me and my mind-numbing rambling. I hope I have posted this correctly and that others may share and add anything they wish. If you have a story you remember...please tell. If you (like most people surely do) remember me as mainly "the class clown", again, please share. I look forward to writing more and reading anything added.
With much anticipation, Brandon
Age
14 years ago
5 comments:
Welcome to the land of Blog! Good to have you here! I look forward to all of your insights and the way you look at the world!
This made me laugh out loud. I'd say some of my favorite memories of high school are, in no particular order:
--Afternoon practice: always a fun time hanging with my girls and being part of something where I felt like I belonged and was appreciated for my talents and contributions.
--Spanish class: Senor Nielsen was truly an inspiration. I absolutely loved his attitude, his sense of humor, and the way he treated us as, if not equals, amusing wannabes. Our trip at the end of the year was a culmination of all the great experiences with him. That doesn't even get me to all the people in the class over the years. Jason S. flipping his retainer that had teeth attached--just one of many great friends who made the class my favorite every year.
--Math classes: First of all, I won't get into the way we were basically "tracked" every year based on our ability levels, y'all know you had the same people in all your classes, right? Well, I attribute my head-bangin', spandex-lovin' to my friends in math class. Every year I'd learn new totally awesome bands thanks to Dale & Bret who always let me borrow their tapes. Bret would also sometimes lend me his car to go visit Dale at the old Alpha Beta. :P
--SBO class with Steph: Why didn't those Sconecutter people ever turn us in? And did they not realize it was us who kept stealing things? I mean, who else was there every other morning? That whole experience was classic high school and I have very fond memories of Mr. Tiff and the gang.
-- Choir - Jason, Jeff, Troy were hilarious every day! Some days they would fight to sit by me, which always made my day!! And there was this always barely hidden rivalry between the sopranos and the altos. Or was that just me? You snobby sopranos know who you are! ;)
-- Lunch 7-11 runs for Big Gulps which would kick in about 1/2 way through Mr. Crooks class (11th grade) and I'd have to BEG him for the hall pass to run to the bathroom in the "new" building. They still call it that, fyi. How many years til they realize it's old!? I loved Mr. Crooks. What a stud. Reading "A Separate Peace" and "Walden"--good times!!
I could go on and on. Writing this made me realize how much I loved my teachers and the classes I took. And, of COURSE, all the wonderful friends I met along the way, so few of whom I've kept in touch with over these 20 short years.
Thanks Brandon! I just wasted about 1/2 hour of my day and it was much deserved and much enjoyed!
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Ahhhh, my pleasure. Yes, they do still refer to it as the "new" building, and it wasn't THAT new when we were there. Ms. Sargent was by far my favorite English teacher ( Ms. Thayne coming in a close second). If you want a trip down memory lane...click this link and look at the teachers STILL teaching at ol' Granger High. http://www.graniteschools.org/hs/granger/GHSfaculty.htm Sad thing is, they all look the same (except Mr. Bullock is bald now). I also remember going to Little Ceaser's for crazy bread till they wised up and started selling at the school to keep us all there. I also remember the boys bathroom next to Senor Nielsen's class was blown up our Sophomore year and was pretty much out of service the whole time we went to school. I dated Mr. Tiffany's daughter for awhile after I gradutated (there's a picture in one of my albums).
One memory I thought of today was the buzz and excitement that would envelop the school on the days that pictures from the dances were delivered. How excited everyone got to see what they looked like at prom or MORP or Sadie Hawkins. Don't know why I thought of that one out of the blue...but there it is.
Brandon-great post on HS Days! I loved La Suprema AKA Mr. Nielsen as well. That was one of the best classes I had in HS, second only to Woody's AP English. Mr. Crooks and Ms. Thayne's English classes were terrific as well. I still remember Ms. Thayne slashing all of my "alots" because it's two words...a lot.
Here's one of my favorite memories, pasted from my blog:
Little Miss DeLaina
Sat on the stand
Ready to sing her solo
Along came a spider
which crawled down her dress
and ended up squished on her chest.
Recently reconnecting with a ton of my high school friends has stirred up an interesting mix of memories. This is one of the funniest:
I had the distinct pleasure of being in the Madrigal choir at GHS-12 girls, 12 boys-and travelling to different churches during December to perform various Christmas songs. I had a solo for Bring A Torch Jeannette Isabella at the beginning of the program.
While the sacrament portion of the program was in progress, I kept feeling what I thought at the time was a stray hair tickling my neck, and I kept swiping my hair with my hand but never could find the stray hair.
Moments before my solo, I felt a tickling sensation on my chest, glanced down inside my dress and to my horror, saw a yellow banana spider nonchalantly crawling along. I do not know how I kept my composure enough to keep from going with my first impulse of throwing my hands into the air and screaming, "GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!" But, somehow I did.
My second impulse was to run to the bathroom and get it taken care of, but I had to sing in mere minutes. By this point, tears were streaming down my face, no doubt encouraging the audience members to think I was just extra spiritual that day. My friend Mike, sitting next to me, kept glancing at me, obviously embarrassed by my inability to control my emotions, and my boyfriend was on the front row looking appropriately concerned that I was sobbing on the stand.
Time had run out: "We will now hear Bring a Torch, with DeLaina Cales as the soloist" so I took a deep breath, squished the spider on my bare skin, wiped away the tears, and proceeded to perform the solo with a dead spider carcass attached to my chest.
I managed to endure the entire meeting, and promptly headed for the bathroom the second we were done, where a couple of my friends had to help me get cleaned up. Ewwww.
Wow! I would have absolutely freaked. Spiders of any size or color or whatever are all targets to me. I hate spiders above all else. I applaud both your composure and your bravery. I would have screamed like my hair was on fire and my butt was catching!
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